Page 26 of Pucking Snowed In With My Ex

“Whoa, what happened?” Tyler looked behind me as I rounded the corner of the aisle, but I kept walking. I was so angry that I couldn’t stop moving, and Tyler followed. “Skye, what’s going on?”

We stopped at the first line we came to, and I looked back to see Alex rounding the corner and smiling at a girl who was definitely into him. “I want to punch him in the face so hard,” I mumbled.

“I’ll do it for you,” Tyler offered. “Not that I don’t think you can, but I’ve been wanting to do it for some time, and it would bring me great joy to lay him out on his ass.”

“I can see the headlines now. Tyler Tucker’s bright future with the Colorado Coyotes dashed because he got into a fistfight in the middle of a grocery store. Why? Because he wanted to.”

“Well, when you put it that way, it doesn’t sound like as good of an idea, but I still want to.”

“Listen, I’m really sorry, but if you don’t have enough money, you’ll have to put something back.” I turned my head at the sound of the cashier’s voice to see him talking to the older woman I saw earlier.

“Oh, okay.” She looked along the line of meager groceries and pointed at the poinsettia. “I guess I’ll put that back.”

Stepping forward, I interjected before the clerk could remove the plant. “I’ll buy her groceries,” I said.

“What? Oh no, dear, you don’t need to do that.” Her eyes wide behind her glasses.

I laid my hand on hers. “Trust me, you would be doing me the favor. I could really use this today. Is this all you wanted?” I looked at the list she was holding in her hand.

“There were a few more things, but you’ve already been far too generous,” she said, and I smiled.

“There are millions of things in the world that I cannot fix, help with, or do, but this is something I can. Please, let me do this for you. Consider it a Christmas gift.”

Tears filled her eyes, and she laid her other hand on mine. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”

Taking the list, I handed it to Tyler. “On it,” he said and whistled for the guys, making me smile.

Alex wanted me to feel small and weak, and for way too long, I let him, but not anymore. I was done with him and more determined than ever to get him out of our lives.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

SKYE

It took forever to boil the massive pot of water on the old wood-burning stove, but it was finally ready for the pasta. I dumped in two bags of penne and one of macaroni and stirred. The eight packages of hotdogs I picked out at the store were unthawing in an iron skillet behind the pasta. Gordon Ramsey would have a coronary at my lack of culinary skill, but I never claimed to be a chef.

The generator could only run so much, and right now the lights, heat, and water—so that we could shower and use the toilet—took priority. The stove and microwave were, unfortunately for me, nonessential.

Luckily, I’d camped with my family every summer and was well-versed in cooking over a flame or using whatever you could to eat. But that was before my family blew up.

My dad lived in Hawaii with his new wife now, while my mom dated men faster than I could remember their names. Sammie took the divorce hard, and the bullying tipped the scales against her, but she was finally back on track. She used to struggle with a lisp exaggerated by her braces, and before her eye surgery, she wore thick glasses that made her eyes look twice as large. With her curly red hair, the kids called her names and said she looked like a crazy cartoon character. That was when the depression started, but it got so much worse. Through a lot of hard work and time, she came out on the other side and I was so proud of her. Everytime I pictured her in the hospital looking so small and sad it broke my heart all over again.

Now, Sammie was one of the most popular girls in high school. Captain of her cheerleader squad, she scored top grades, went on dates, and even started her own small business making worry bead bracelets that sold like hotcakes on the internet. I couldn’t do anything to jeopardize that. I just couldn’t. I loved my sister too much to see her wins blow up in her face.

The guys playing poker was background noise to me as I worked. The teasing, munching of potato chips, shuffling cards, and laughter calmed me.

Noah had offered to cook, but I didn’t want to play cards, and this gave me something to do with my hands where I didn’t have to look at Alex’s smug face. If I could find a way to get my hands on the stuff he had stashed away, I could tell Cal and finally have Alex locked up for what he did. I’d just finished stirring in the last of the cheese when the electricity came back on, and a cheer rose from the living room.

“Of course, it comes back on now that I’m done,” I said to whoever was listening.

“Dinner is ready,” I called out, pulling down some bowls.

Cal and the rest of the guys filed into the kitchen. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to go shut off the generator,” Cal said, kissing the top of my head before he walked out.

“Nothing fancy, but there is plenty. Pasta is there, and hotdogs are still in the pan, keeping warm,” I said, pulling off my apron.

“Women only belong in the bedroom and in the kitchen. Looks like you have both of those covered,” Alex said, and I yelped as he smacked my ass. “Next will come the bare feet and pregnant.”

I wheeled around on him. “Don’t fucking touch me. What the hell is your problem anyway?”